Dallas trip gives American NUFC fans their boycott moment

Newcastle United appears set to visit the US this summer for a six-team tournament in Dallas. Now the question for NUFC fans in America, as it has been lately for our Newcastle native counterparts: To go or not to go?

The last time the club came across the Atlantic, in the summer of 2011, any question was unthinkable. Newcastle fans around the continent dropped everything and rushed for the rare chance to see our heroes in person at a normal time rather than on a laptop or distant tavern screen at an hour when sane people are cherishing a weekend chance to sleep in. I put upward of 2,000 clicks on my Ford odometer getting to Kansas City and Columbus for those matches. The experience was worth every tumbleweed-tossed mile. Such instant camaraderie with so many strangers from so far away is something missed in most lifetimes. The walls of the 4th Street Bar near Crew Stadium may still be cracked from the chants.

In the four years since that glorious July, whatever ambition exists at Newcastle United has been revealed as a cynical ruse. Opportunities to contend have been met with retreat and profiteering instead of courage and attack. I may be about to come off as the worst sort of Yankee cliché, but so be it: Mike Ashley's act doesn't play in America. We call our country the Land of Opportunity. It's the core value the nation was founded on. It's one of the few things liberals and conservatives here can agree on these days. Anyone can make it to the top, not to mention someone with every advantage. There's only one thing an American would call a club owner who doesn't think his wits, giant support and the 318th-largest pocketbook on Earth are enough to win with: a coward. It's really hard for Americans to root for a coward. Especially when we're not obligated by birth or circumstance.

This helps illustrate why our blog has been essentially on boycott through much of this season. And why this venture to Dallas presents us with an agonizing decision. Not much would thrill me more than re-connecting with our widely scattered US fraternity and the full-throated, warm-hearted English fans who form the most inspiring band of supporters I've seen in more than half a century of life. But it means 2,000 more miles and untold expense to line a coward's coffers. To send a message that everything we're being subjected to is A-OK. If there's one thing about soccer Ashley likely understands, it's relegation and the resulting lost windfall; I expect the club to make some decent summer signings and run back up the table toward respectability next season. But we all know what comes after that.

It's easy to sit on this side of the pond and tweet at fans in Newcastle to stay home from matches. As a fan in Newcastle pointed out in return not long ago, to actually do it rips the heart out. Now it's our turn to make that call. Not sure what I'll do. Fans on any continent are welcome to comment below with their plans or advice.

Comments

[steve hunter]

What absolute nonsense to even suggest US fans boycott a pre-season tour. I find it hard to believe a U.S. fan would boycott what will probably be the only chance of the majority to ever get this close to the team. I supported the Spurs boycott because a message had to be sent, and I think that message was sent successfully, but to boycott our team, which will almost certainly be unrecognisable by mid-July is absolute insanity. Way to welcome any new signings with a boycott.

[Sean]

Just go and enjoy it lads, its not going to make much of a difference in the big picture and the craic will be sound.
Have a beer for me.

[B Gords]

I think a boycott is not the answer. We US fans don't share the same weight -- it's harsh, but true. Selfishly, we also don't have the fortune of boycotting matches. As you pointed out, this is the first time in 4 years they've come back.

If we want to make a statement something similar to the Red Card protest v. Swansea would be much more impactful in my opinion. We can show our unhappiness with the ownership and clubs performance of late and also exemplify solidarity with the UK supporters.

Understand your article was just floating the idea, but I think our presence and words would be stronger than sitting at home.

[Steve Hunter]

I'm one of the members of Toon Army Dallas, by the way, and we're all excited to welcome the team to Dallas. Hundreds of other Toon Army fans from around the US will be flying into the metroplex, as well as Geordies flying across the Atlantic. This has to be a 100% positive outing for ALL fans, despite our feelings about the current regime. Everyone feels the same way, none of us are happy about what is currently going on at our club. BUT, we have to support the players coming over here in July, new and old. To boycott them, and complain, and jeer would almost certainly see no more return trips to the States by the team we all claim to love. No more boycott/protest talk for this pre-season tour. Support the lads!

[B Gords]

Thanks Steve.

I think you make a good point and want to reel back my commentary. I don't think a boycott is sensible and, perhaps, a protest might not be what we want either.

Either way, I'll hope to argue with you on this in Dallas this summer.

[Phil L]

I understand your point B Gords, but what I loved about the article is the opportunity to stay away. It raises the thought of sharing that burden instead of "welp, were off to Dallas".

My personal opinion is a tournament without NUFC fans in attendance is more impactful than one where the fans show up for meet and greets than show red cards at the ownership. I dont think you can have it both ways. I think if you show up with your banners and your red cards, they already have your money. Club dont care you are protesting.

Its very linear to our friends overseas.. you could show up to SJP with your protests or would staying away send a bigger message?

And Im not concerned about the message it will send to the 7 u18 French kids they sign in the offseason.

[B Gords]

Absolutely and I get it. Fans are mad...not just mad, frustrated. Exasperated. I just saw Tom's post from February and felt a pit in my stomach.

Personally, I'm conflicted between what I consider to be my responsibility as a supporter: to show my solidarity with all other NUFC supporters, to show that I too am willing to sacrifice my opportunity to see the club play (and see Willo boot the long ball) and that

Or, to (perhaps selfishly) take part in one of the benefits of being a supporter: seeing the team play-in the flesh. Being around other fans of this club and sharing this very unique experience with them.

Either way - I don't know if an empty stadium in Dallas shows anything. "Well the US market is strong for soccer..." or "Suppose NUFC support isn't as strong as we thought in the US" are potential reactions I can imagine being put out there in response to a boycott.

[Tom]

How dare Bob suggest such a thing! We should all just mindlessly converge on Dallas wearing Wonga gear and shell out money to get autographs from the Ligue 1 B-team All-Stars.

Forget trying to have a nuanced discussion about any of this. Just pledge blind loyalty to NUFC for all eternity.

...

It's a perfectly legitimate viewpoint for American NUFC fans to question their devotion to what's currently a mockery of a club. Just as it's a perfectly legitimate viewpoint for others to decide that they want to continue to support the club, regardless of all the nonsense occurring at the boardroom level.

[FCDrunk]

I'll be honest and say the only reason I can make this work is because I live down here. I like the idea of a boycott, and I want my own AshleyOut banners here, but I'll be at every match possible. I've never been to St. James' Park. I missed out on the last U.S. Tour. No way in hell am I going to pass up my first "first-hand" experience with the TOON ARMY.

[Dante]

A boycott here in the US would easily be misconstrued as just lack of interest in the club instead of the message we would like to send. I like the idea of using the tournament to try and show solidarity with our fellow fans from across the pond.

[Phil L]

Thats a great point B Gords about the perception if we as a whole do not show up. I think with the benefit of social media though we would get our message out that its not acceptable for the club to behave like they are and us US fans show up in droves to Pizza Hut Park to support what has been a embarrassment for 2 seasons.

Its tough either way. Im glad our blog brought forth the different opinion

[Steve Hunter]

Lets not forget the Cotton Bowl seats almost twice the amount of people as St James Park with capacity for 100,000+. We'll need all the Toon Army support we can get to make this something special. We have to stay positive for this one. Protests can wait.

[Craig hudson]

I think yous should just have AshleyOut banners and chants for AshleyOut it will still send a message and hope yous lot enjoy this opportunity to see nufc.UNITED WE STAND!!!! ASHLEYOUT.COM

[Steve Hunter]

It'll send a message to the new players alright Craig. I am 100% against any boycott or protest. I think this would be disastrous. This is a pre-season game in a US tour. All a protest does is discourage new signings and sets a bad mood for the tournament.

[Matt]

The act of boycotting a preseason friendly doesn't really mean anything to Ashley, of course. Whatever money NUFC gets from this trip will probably be paid up front and likely has very little to do with ticket sales, concessions, etc. So in that sense, not going to Dallas is an emptier gesture than boycotting the Spurs match. We just don't have the same pull that the fans at SJP do.

That being said, I think we all need to ask ourselves this question: how free should we be with our support, given the current circumstances at the club? I've watched every single match on TV this year (at least as far as I can remember). NUFC needs to earn anything else it gets from me beyond that. Because of the rave reviews the 2011 tour got from a supporter perspective, I'd certainly be willing to rearrange my schedule a bit to go to Dallas. But seeing the contemptuous and dismissive attitude NUFC takes towards its fans under Ashley's stewardship, I'll gladly take the money and vacation days I'd use on this trip and do something else instead.

In our internal email discussion about this post, Phil had a really nice quote: in the US, "you sell hope or you sell wins" to bring people in the door. What, exactly, is NUFC selling to us as fans right now?

[Bob]

Been busy this morning with something called my "job," just catching up with all the commentary since the post (I'm the author). Quick thoughts:

- For me, the prospect of not going isn't first and foremost about any impact it would have. Given the way the club is being run I'm just not in a "hooray for Newcastle" mood, much less a "let's travel 2,000 miles to go hooray for Newcastle" mood. It wouldn't feel right to me, personally. I would feel like a mindless Mike Ashley apologist. I would imagine I'm far from alone in this.

- I think a boycott with light turnout *might* have some impact. It would be yet another embarrassment to the club/owner and such things do pile up. I found that out covering sports in my previous life. Doubtful it would be misconstrued as mere lack of interest when so many fans were on the last tour.

- Going and protesting might be an interesting alternative, depending on how it was done. People on Twitter are talking about that too. A protest of a friendly tournament by a club's foreign and native fans together could be a newsworthy event. Thinking about that one.

[Steve Hunter]

We'll have to agree to disagree. US fans have waited for many years for an event like this and to boycott is because the current guy in charge is doing a poor job doesn't make any sense. It's meant to promote football in the US, that's the whole purpose of tours like these. For us to not show up is just...doesn't make sense. Nothing positive will come from it. At all. And after it's all done with and nobody gave a damn, we'll all be sitting there wondering why we didn't go when the team came to our backyards.

[B Gords]

Bob -- what's this job you talk of?

It's a tough decision to make. Seeing the club play in the US is a unique opportunity, and to Steve's point we don't know when that will happen again. That being said, the club's performance of late is entirely disappointing. There isn't one person here who doesn't cringe at the idea of snatching at the perceived bait that Mike Ashley is dangling by purchasing a ticket to this - and who doesn't understand the notion that NUFC should earn our effort, money, and time?

I think the most important thing is that whatever is done, attend/boycott/protest, each option should be backed by a unified supporter group. Much like the recent boycott against Spurs, UK supporters didn't try to shame those who attended. What makes me proud to back the same team as those supporters did was their ability to not internalize their rage against one another. The sights were set at the ownership group of this club and that's where it should continually be focused.

I don't know. It's frustrating. But I won't knock anyone for going or boycotting - at the end of the day I know we all hold the same hopes for the club.

[Phil L]

Well said B Gords.

Bob, get out of here with this "job" stuff ;)

[Yeager]

Money is the only thing that talks. Draw your own conclusions.

[FCDrunk]

One thing y'all may be forgetting is that if we were to boycott the tourney, it would only work if all of Toon Army America came down here and stood outside the stadium together. So if you are going to boycott, be seen, not miles away on a couch, because that won't do shit.

Like I said earlier, this is my first chance to see the Toon live. I may only be able to make one match or two, but I'll sure as hell be there. Wouldn't miss it for the world.

[rob]

I had far too much fun in KC a few years ago. If nothing else this trip to Dallas would be another chance to connect with fellow NUFC fans. I am open to protesting in some form to show our own unhappiness at how the club is run. I am fairly sure the clubs in the tournament get paid up front so us going probably won't affect how much Ashley gets.

[Jeff]

Better go to Dallas. It'll be the last you'll see of the boys for a while.

[Punter]

See the Toon, live? This team hasn't had any life since 2011-2012. I can stay close to home and see the Atlanta Silverbacks play with more verve and better coaching.

Call it a boycott if you like.

[B Gords]

Looks like this may of all been for naught... Miles Starforth tweeting the NUFC not on opponent list for Texas...